“The comeback kid”.
That’s what Bronson Xerri’s Bulldogs teammates are calling him this summer as the young gun centre charges towards an NRL return after four years in the rugby league wilderness.
Xerri burst into the NRL as a teenager at the Sharks in 2019 but tested positive to the presence of exogenous Testosterone and was slapped with a four-year ban.
Rugby league is full of comeback stories and Xerri is determined to become the next by making the most of Canterbury and Phil Gould’s career lifeline.
It’s why the 23-year-old is leaning into the new nickname, which Bulldogs skipper Reed Mahoney called out as Xerri spoke with foxsports.com.au at Belmore on Thursday morning.
It triggered a wry smile from Xerri who emphasised he won’t be taking his second chance for granted as he reflected on the moments he almost threw the game away.
When asked if he thought he’d ever return to the NRL, Xerri told foxsports.com.au: “It was up and down for me, at one stage I was like ‘nah, I am giving away the game’. Then sometimes I’ll be like ‘no, I need to come back’.
“I’m happy to be here and grateful for the opportunity and I’m going to take it with both hands.”
Xerri’s battles with mental health following his suspension have been well documented and he described his first two years of his suspension as being “down and out”.
“I suffered pretty bad with my mental health so I pretty much just stayed home and kept in my little shell,” he said.
“Then I actually jumped on a job site and worked for a few months doing carpentry and then when it came to the last two years I just started training with Roger (Fabri) and get my life back on track.”
However, Xerri explained that through his adversity he learnt a number of big life lessons, including being appreciative for the life of an NRL player.